Local video series offers Gospel guidance for Lenten journey

Father Dan Reehill, pastor of St. Edward Church, delivers a Lenten reflection on the readings of the Third Sunday of Lent at the parish on Thursday, Feb. 23. The recorded reflection is one of six prepared for each week of Lent that will be posted online for the Diocese of Nashville as a support for the people during their Lenten journey. Photo by Rick Musacchio

One of the biggest challenges of Lent, for many people who are caught up in the demands of everyday life, is to set aside meaningful time during the penitent season to forge a deeper connection with Christ.

“Despite our busy-ness, we need to find a way to pay attention to God” during Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 1, said Father Ed Steiner, rector of the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville.

Lent is an ideal time to build new spiritual habits, Father Steiner said, and could include reading Scripture or simply taking a few meditative moments of silence during the daily commute. “You can devote yourself to a handful of small things that take a few minutes a day.”

There are a plethora of apps and websites that offer daily or weekly reflections via email. And this year, for the first time, the Diocese of Nashville is producing a weekly series of reflections by local priests that aim to give a deeper understanding of the Sunday readings during Lent.

“We are hoping it helps the people of the Diocese of Nashville to prepare for Sunday Mass and helps them apply the readings to their daily lives,” said Joan Watson, director of adult formation for the diocese. “Our hope is that these reflections help people prepare for the liturgy they are about to celebrate with their parish, and nurtures their Lenten journey.”

The Lenten reflection series builds on Watson’s weekly “Three Minute Theology” video mini-lessons on different aspects of the Catholic faith. For Lent, “Bishop Choby suggested that we create a series of videos featuring local priests reflecting on the themes of Lent and the Sunday Mass readings,” Watson said, and she and her team have been busy preparing the videos in recent weeks.

The short videos, which will be posted online every Thursday during Lent, feature a different diocesan priest offering reflections on the Gospel for the upcoming Sunday. The priests were each recorded where they serve, Watson said, “to bring the people of the diocese into these places and connect them to their fellow Catholics through the Midstate. We hope to continue to do more series like these and feature more priests and parishes.”

The priests featured in the videos include: Father Michael Baltrus, pastor of St. Patrick Church in McEwen; Father Michael Fye, associate pastor of St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows in Nashville and chaplain of University Catholic; Father Thomas Kalam, C.M.I., associate pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville; Father Pat Kibby, pastor of St. Stephen Catholic Community in Old Hickory; Father Dan Reehil, pastor of St. Edward Church in Nashville; Father Mark Sappenfield, pastor of St. Matthew Church in Franklin; and Father Ed Steiner, rector of the Cathedral of the Incarnation.

Father Baltrus, who offers a reflection on the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead, said he wanted to talk about how “when we face some of the most difficult things in life, that’s an opportunity for our faith to grow.”

“As part of our human nature, we tend to try to avoid uncomfortable situations,” Father Baltrus said. But during Lent, “the Church encourages us to look for discomfort, look for ways to be sacrificial, be more monastic.”

Lent, he said, “is an opportunity for each of us to step out of the ordinary.” During those times, Father Baltrus said, “is when we see the hand of God in a more powerful and beautiful way.”

The true focus of Lent, Father Steiner said, is Good Friday. “All the fasting, abstinence and sacrificial acts, we do that so we can identify with Jesus on the cross.” The challenge, he said, “is to put ourselves in a position of real sacrifice.”

In addition to renewing spiritual practices during Lent through reading Scripture, attending an extra daily Mass each week, or going to confession, people could also volunteer with their parish or another worthy cause, Father Steiner said. But the focus should always be beyond ourselves, he added. “Lent is more than motivation to do the right things, it’s motivation to improve our spiritual lives.”

Father Steiner, Father Baltrus and the other priests offering reflections in the Lenten video series “help us find consolation, encouragement, and guidance in the Gospels,” said Watson. “The Scriptures are not dead, but living, and continue to speak to us anew today,” she added. “Each reflection features very practical ways to make the teachings of Jesus part of your daily life.”

New Lenten reflection videos will be available every Thursday, beginning March 2, at www.dioceseofnashville.com, on YouTube, and on Bishop David Choby’s Facebook page.